


Kelpie Hunt

by MK Tyndall (TiredRazzberry)



Series: The Resurrection of Legend [1]
Category: Arthurian Mythology, English Folklore, Faerie Folklore, Folklore - Fandom, Irish Mythology, Original Work, Scottish Mythology, Welsh Mythology, World Mythology
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Arthurian, Backstory, Child Death, Gen, Kelpies, Modern Fantasy, Monster of the Week, Past Relationship(s), Prologue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-05-30 10:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6419938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiredRazzberry/pseuds/MK%20Tyndall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The prologue of my book: "The Resurrection of Legend: The Grail Knight" </p><p>---<br/>“Fine, whatever. Just one quick question before you break out the duck-tape: how do we even know this thing is still around, fertilizer aside? It could have gone up creek since the local parents have turned into helicopters and cut off its food supply.” Erik pointed out smugly.</p><p>There was a loud crash in the nearby trees. Branches were being torn asunder, like arms from a torso, and then were hurled in random directions, colliding violently with neighboring trees. Entire trunks were splintered by furious stomps and the thrashing of a hulking body fighting for room to rise up on its hind legs and tower over the tallest of the forest’s interlopers by several feet. In the darkness, yellow eyes shone demonically and a slick hide glimmered in the moonlight pouring through the destroyed canopy. The beast let out a howl caught halfway between a mare’s spirited neigh and Cerberus’ warning growl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Kelpie Hunt

The woodland lake was pitch black under the new moon’s close watch. The forest was nearly as dark under the canopy of twisted tree limbs and their timber claws. Creatures that dwelled beneath went unseen except for the occasional flash of yellow irises. Dreadful stillness reigned king over the woodlands, the fog lurking between the trees and crawling over the lake’s surface acting as its enigmatic mistress.

“Here, kelpie, kelpie, kelpie!” A voice suddenly called out. Each shrill ‘kelpie’ was a stab in the silence’s gut. The slow crunch of leaves under cautious footfalls perverted the air.

“ _Shhh!”_ Another voice hissed. “Don’t call for it, Owen. It’s a man-eating lake monster, not a lost pet.” It was much, _much_ deeper than the first. 

“We’re aiming on surprising it, Owen. Not on _it_ surprising us.” A third voice chided. It was much, _much_ gentler than the second.

“How do we go about finding this thing then?” Asked Owen.

“Bait it.” The deep, deep voice answered.  

“With what?” Yet another voice demanded. “We didn’t pack any bait.”

“Oh my dear young Erik, what do you think we brought Garrett for?”

“Not funny, Griffith.” Erik shot back.

“What? I was just pulling your leg.”

His companions remained silent, briefly returning the scene to its former eerie glory.

“It was a _joke_.” Griffith insisted, toppling the king for a second time in the span of minutes.

“No. It wasn’t. A joke is calling your father-in-law an exorcist because every time he pays a visit he makes all the spirits disappear. Using a teammate as bait on a mission isn’t a joke. It’s…” Garrett didn’t finish his sentence, as if for fear of a fly on the wall. He and the other boys turned mute and stilled in their march, waiting for something in the darkness that they feared more than the kelpie.

“You boys are just too serious.” Griffith declared.

Owen chuckled. “Now isn’t that something Lukas would just _love_ to say.”

“You think he’d break out the champagne?” Asked Erik.

“See? _Those_ are jokes, Griffith.”

“No, that’s a bunch of lollygagging! Now belt up and follow me.” Griffith commanded. The group fell silent as they crept closer towards the lake shore. If one hadn’t heard them the moment before, they might have assumed the crunching of forest carpet and rustling of the undergrowth were the work of passing deer.

_Squissshhh!_

“It’s mud. What I just sank ankle deep in is mud.”

Someone sniffed the air and gagged.

“Sorry, mate.” Came Garrett’s nasally reply.

“More like kelpie dung by the smell of it. Take note, boys.” Griffith instructed. “This is good. If that’s fresh, we’re likely right on its tail. Is it warm, Erik?”

Erik growled in aggravation, frightening the nearest yellow eyes away. “I don’t give a shit about kelpie crap! Why are we even out here!?” He spat into the darkness.

“To slay the kelpie that’s been helping itself to the local primary schoolers, Mr. Braik.” Griffith snapped.

“No, no, I understand that! I really do! I mean, why are _we_ out here when Kay or Gavin or Tristian could have easily taken care of this all by themselves?”

“Tristian and his band are playing in Manchester this weekend. Kay will soon be leaving for Wales with the old bastard and doesn’t have the time since this thing could honestly take days to track. Gavin would be about as useful as a torch once the sun goes down thanks to the overcast this past week, and he’s a nightmare without his eight hours besides. Not to mention all of you need the field experience.”

“But what about Berkie, Lukas, or one of the old guys? This is veteran’s work, Griffith.”

“First off, we’re not that old, you little tosser. Secondly, Berkie and a kelpie? What a bright idea! How about you share it with Berkie the next time one starts terrorizing its local watering hole? Thirdly, you _are_ a veteran. Every one of us here is a veteran, Erik.” A tense thirty seconds ticked by before Erik sighed in defeat and the party marched on.

“Gavin was in a really good mood before we left,” Garrett whispered after an awkward stretch of silence. “I thought that was weird, since he’s not such a morning person, so I asked him why. He told me that he’s going with them to Wales to get the new kid, and he even told me who the new kid is. It’s not anyone that I thought it might be—even better actually!”

“I’ve been wondering which one this kid is. That old bastard hasn’t been this riled up over a recruit since he went to fetch you and your brothers.” Griffith mused.  

“Oh, so it’s okay for Garrett to make small talk but not me?”

“Belt up, Erik. Let him tell us what he knows. Well, Gar?”  

“Gavin told me it’s Harvey DeWitt. You remember him, don’t you, Owen?”

“DeWitt—oh, ya mean Dago? No wonder Gavin’s so excited.”

“I don’t remember him. Who was he?” Erik demanded uneasily.

“You didn’t meet Dago—DeWitt, I mean, the last time around or know him well the first time either. He was off kicking kraut arse by the time you came of age. As for who he was— _is_ , that’d be Gavin’s best mate to put it lightly.”

“Gavin’s best friend? But I thought lover-boy couldn’t be found. Or wait, do you mean that guy he and Sis have been after? The one who came out of nowhere and kicked Kay’s—”

“Yes, yes! They mean him. That’s enough now.” Griffith interrupted, garnering an ignored snarl from Erik. “This is a mission, not a tea party. Not a word more until this beast is slain.”

“I’m not stupid. I can tell it’s only me you interrupt.”

“ _Mr. Braik_.”                                                                          

“Fine, whatever. Just one quick question before you break out the duck-tape: how do we even know this thing is still around, fertilizer aside? It could have gone up creek since the local parents have turned into helicopters and cut off its food supply.” Erik smugly pointed out.

There was a loud crash in the nearby trees. Branches were being torn asunder, like arms from a torso, and then were hurled in random directions, colliding violently with neighboring trees. Entire trunks were splintered by furious stomps and the thrashing of a hulking body fighting for room to rise up on its hind legs and tower over the tallest of the forest’s interlopers by several feet. In the darkness, yellow eyes shone demonically and a slick hide glimmered in the moonlight pouring through the destroyed canopy. The beast let out a howl caught halfway between a mare’s spirited neigh and Cerberus’ warning growl.

“Are you kidding me?” Erik grumbled amongst it all, accompanied by a chorus of _shiiiiing_ ’s.


	2. Revised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rewrite of the previous chapter. Remarks on the changes are more than welcome!

Strangeness favored darkness. The woodland lake was pitch black under the new moon’s close watch. Creatures that dwelled beneath the canopy of twisted tree limbs and their timber claws went unseen without even an occasional flash of yellow irises. Dreadful stillness reigned king over the woodlands, the fog lurking between the trees and crawling over the lake’s surface acting as its enigmatic mistress. The scene was set for a curiosity.

“Here, kelpie, kelpie, kelpie!” Each shrill call was a stab in the silence’s gut. The crunch of leaves under cautious footfalls out of sync with the crunch of leaves under a lumbering tread perverted the air.

“ _Shhh!”_ Another voice hissed. “Don’t call for it, Owen. It’s a man-eating lake monster, not a lost pet.” It was much, _much_ deeper than the first. 

“We’re aiming on surprising it, Owen. Not on _it_ surprising us.” A third voice chided. It was much, much, _much_ softer than the second and managed to bring the lumbering to a halt.

 “How do we go about finding this thing then?” Asked Owen.

“Bait it.” The deep, _deep_ voice answered. 

“With what?” Yet another voice demanded. “We didn’t pack any bait.”

“Oh my dear young Erik, what do you think we brought Garrett for?”

“Not funny, Griffith.” Erik shot back.

“What? I was just pulling your leg.”

His companions remained silent, briefly returning the scene to its former eerie glory.

“It was a _joke_.”

“No. It wasn’t. A joke is calling your father-in-law an exorcist because every time he pays a visit he makes all the spirits disappear. Using a teammate as bait on a mission isn’t a joke. It’s…” Garrett didn’t finish his sentence, as if for fear of a fly on the wall. He and the other boys turned mute and stilled in their march, waiting for something in the darkness that they feared more than the kelpie.

“You boys are just too serious.” Griffith declared.

Owen chuckled. “Now isn’t that something Lukas would just _love_ to say.”

“You think he’d break out the champagne?” Asked Erik.

“See? _Those_ are jokes, Griffith.”

“No, that’s a bunch of lollygagging! Now belt up and follow me.” Griffith commanded. The group fell silent as they crept closer towards the lake shore. If one hadn’t heard them the moment before, they might have assumed the crunching of forest carpet and rustling of the undergrowth were the work of passing deer.

_Squissshhh!_

“It’s mud. What I just sank ankle deep in is mud. _Please_ , someone tell me it’s mud.”

Someone sniffed the air and gagged. “Sorry, mate.” Came Garrett’s nasally reply.

“More like kelpie dung by the smell of it. Take note, boys.” Griffith instructed. “This is good. If that’s fresh, we’re likely right on its tail. Is it warm, Erik?”

Erik growled in aggravation, sending nearby nocturnal critters scampering deeper into the woods. “I don’t give a shit about kelpie crap! Why are we even out here!?” He spat into the darkness.

“If you recall, to slay the kelpie that’s been helping itself to the local primary schoolers, Mr. Braik.” Griffith snapped.

“No, no, I understand that! I really do! I mean, why are _we_ out here when Kay or Gavin or Tristian could have easily taken care of this all by themselves?”

“Tristian and his band are playing in Manchester this weekend, a trip he cleared weeks ago. Kay will soon be leaving for Wales with the old bastard and doesn’t have the time since this thing could honestly take days to track. Gavin would be about as useful as a torch once the sun goes down thanks to the rain this past week, and he’s a nightmare without his eight hours besides. Not to mention all of you need the field experience.”

“But what about Berkie, Lukas, or one of the old guys? This is veteran’s work, Griffith.”

“First off, we’re not that old, you little tosser. Secondly, Berkie and a kelpie? What a bright idea! How ‘bout you share it with him the next time one starts terrorizing its local watering hole? Thirdly, you _are_ a veteran. Every one of us here is a veteran, Erik.” A tense thirty seconds ticked by before Erik sighed in defeat and the party marched on.

“Gavin was actually in a really good mood before we left.” Garrett whispered after an awkward stretch of silence. “I thought that was weird for all those reasons you gave, Griffith, so I asked him why. He told me that he’s going with them to Wales to get the new kid, and he even told me who the new kid is. It’s not anyone that I thought it might be—even better actually!”

“I’ve been wondering which one this kid is. That old bastard hasn’t been this riled up over a recruit since he went to fetch you and your brothers.” Griffith mused. 

“Oh, so it’s okay for Garrett to make small talk but not me?”

“Belt up, Erik. Let him tell us what he knows. Well, Gar?” 

“Gavin told me it’s Harvey DeWitt. You remember him, don’t you, Owen?”

“DeWitt—oh, ya mean Dago? No wonder Gavin’s so excited.”

“I don’t remember him. Who was he?” Eric nervously demanded.

“You didn’t meet Dago—DeWitt, I mean—the last time around or know him well the first time either. He was off kicking kraut arse by the time you came of age. As for who he was— _is_ —that’d be Gavin’s best mate, to put it lightly.”

“Gavin’s best friend? But I thought lover-boy couldn’t be found. Or wait, do you mean that guy he and Sis have been after? The one who came out of nowhere and kicked Kay’s—”

“Yes, yes! They mean him. That’s enough now.” Griffith interrupted, garnering an ignored snarl from Erik. “This is a mission, not a tea party. Not a word more until this damn algae horse is magical green glue.”

“I’m not stupid. I can tell it’s only me you interrupt. And I think I have a good idea why.”

“ _Mr. Braik_.”                                                                         

“Fine, whatever. Just one quick question before you break out the duck-tape: how do we even know this thing is still around, fertilizer aside? It could have gone up creek since the local parents have turned into helicopters and cut off its food supply.” Erik smugly pointed out.

There was a loud crash among the nearby trees. Branches were being torn asunder, like arms from a torso, and then were hurled in random directions, colliding violently with neighboring trees. Entire trunks were splintered by furious stomps and the thrashing of a hulking body fighting for room to rise up on its hind legs and tower over the tallest of the forest’s interlopers by several feet. In the darkness, yellow eyes shone demonically and a slick hide glimmered in the moonlight pouring through the destroyed canopy. The beast let out a howl caught halfway between a mare’s spirited neigh and Cerberus’ warning growl.

“Are you kidding me?” Erik grumbled amongst it all, accompanied by a chorus of _shiiiiing_ ’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Commentary is more than welcome! Please kudos if you liked it so it can gain more attention!

**Author's Note:**

> Please review and thanks for reading!!


End file.
